Movie meeting: Zoé Marchal is not a doll!

In “La Poupée,” an excellent feminist comedy by Sophie Beaulieu, Zoé Marchal plays Audrey, a silicone doll resembling Barbie who suddenly comes to life.

Far from the action-packed woman she was in some of her films, Zoé Marchal (daughter of Olivier Marchal, director of “36 Quai des Orfèvres,” and actress Catherine Marchal) delivers a fantastic performance as a naive woman without psychology, who tries to take flight.

Like Audrey, her character in the film, Zoé Marchal, whom we met with her filmmaker on April 15 in Lyon, rebels against the norms of femininity with refreshing and exuberant naturalness.

Zoé is unmissable. She recently appeared in “Mercato” (2025) by Tristan Séguéla, as well as in “Overdose” (2022) directed by her father, Olivier Marchal. Zoé claims to have always been curious about others and to have interacted with many different people.

Since the age of 8, the young woman has known she wants to be an actress. “When my mother was acting in plays, I was often backstage, seeing the audience applaud, laugh, and thinking: I want to be like mommy but more famous.”

Director Sophie Beaulieu praises the young actress: “I discovered her in ‘Nouveaux Riches,’ a film by Julien Royal. Like Audrey, a living doll who asks questions in a somewhat frontal manner, I was looking for a beautiful girl with a lot of personality. When Zoé auditioned, I immediately knew it was her. She had a bit of Adèle Exarchopoulos. She had it all: a good physique, a straightforward attitude without being naive, and a perfect ‘street’ accent. I adored her. The precision of her acting, like Cécile’s, impressed me.”

Zoé worked on a robotic gesture with the film’s choreographer, Nadège Catenacci. She says, “I did a lot of meditation. I had to connect with my bones, not my muscles. We tested postures, how the doll opens an eye, how she stands straight, etc.”

The actress took on her first leading role in 2023 in the quirky “Nouveaux Riches” by Julien Royal for Netflix. She played Stephanie, a no-filter brawler who bursts and laughs loudly.

In the series “Les Lionnes” (Netflix), she portrays a bipolar young woman who robs banks while waiting to become an esthetician.

Zoé Marchal dismisses the distinction between TV and film screens, emphasizing that it’s the roles that matter. She continues to be offered roles with stunts and fights of all kinds.

To avoid being typecast, the actress now tries to diversify her roles, aiming to work in American films and explore different genres.

Let’s bet on Zoé’s bright future in the industry!